“Money's no good to you in the bank, in a safe, or under a mattress. Money needs to be in circulation, needs to help people do things. You can't just stand by if your brother's thirsty. Your glass is full? You give him half. You have a slice of pie left? You cut it in two. Do you see, Madeleine? Mom doesn't think like that because they were poor when she was growing up. But poverty begins in the mind. You're not poor.” MoneyPoverty Book:La Fiancée américaine Source: La Fiancée américaine
“Delicious aromas wafted in from the kitchen. Eggs, Father Cousineau was quite certain, and unless he was mistaken, fresh bread, baked beans, cretons, some kind of pork glistening with fat, and a full and generous teapot were standing by. The American girl was at work. He noted happily that everyone in the Lamontagne family appeared to have gained weight, even though Lent had just ended. Well-rounded cheeks, tight clothes, generous bosoms... Old Ma Madeleine's sons and daughters had spent an anti-Lent to which the American cook's arrival was surely no stranger. The breakfast table had not yet been cleared when Madeleine the American asked the priest to take a seat. "Please, Father..." She disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a plate piled high with pancakes, eggs, and slices of ham. All swimming in a half-inch of maple syrup.” BreakfastAmerican GirlSatiated Book:The American Fiancée Source: The American Fiancée
“The nuns were not the only ones to take an interest in French-Canadian cooking that fall. It was a November evening, a little before the first snow. With both her parents out, Madeleine opened the can of maple syrup she had stolen from the Damours grocery store. The maple syrup pie recipe was quite straightforward. Just five ingredients. But Madeleine prepared it with all the care and attention to detail that the Japanese take in making sushi. She worked in religious silence, without making a mess, without spilling flour. The sweet aroma of maple syrup soon floated over the kitchen, then the living room, as the syrup boiled with the heavy cream. A smell delectable enough to wake the dead, to make them wish they were still alive. Madeleine washed the utensils as she went, leaving no trace behind. Once the pie was in the oven, its aroma gained in strength and substance.” PieBakingAromaMaple SyrupCanadian Book:The American Fiancée Source: The American Fiancée